CHAPTER FIVE.
CHING HAS IDEAS.
Week had passed, during which we had cruised here and there, in the hopeof falling in with the pirates. Once in the right waters, it did notmuch signify which course we took, for we were as likely to come acrossthem sailing north as south. So our coal was saved, and we keptsteadily along under canvas.
But fortune seemed to be still against us, and though we boarded junkafter junk, there was not one of which the slightest suspicion could beentertained; and their masters, as soon as they realised what ourmission was, were only too eager to afford us every information theycould.
Unfortunately, they could give us none of any value. They could onlytell us about divers acts of horrible cruelty committed here and therewithin the past few months, but could not point out where the pirateswere likely to be found.
Ching, in spite of some rough weather, had never been obliged to leavethe deck, and had proved to be so valuable an acquisition, that he wasinformed that he would have a certain rate of pay as interpreter whilehe stayed on board; and as soon as he was made aware of this, hestrutted up to me and told me the news.
"Captain makee interpleter and have lot dollar. Muchee better keepeefancee shop."
This was after, at my suggestion to Mr Reardon, he had been sent out inone of the boats to board a big junk, and from that time it became amatter of course that when a boat was piped away, Ching's pigtail wasseen flying out nearly horizontally in his eagerness to be first in thestern-sheets.
But it was always the same. The boat came back with Ching lookingdisappointed, and his yellow forehead ploughed with parallel lines.
"Ching know," he said to me one evening mysteriously.
"Know what?" I said.
"Plenty pilate boat hide away in island. No come while big ship_Teasler_ here."
"Oh, wait a bit," I said; "we shall catch them yet."
"No, catchee," he said despondently. "Pilate velly cunning. See QueenVictolia ship say big gun go bang. 'Top away."
"But where do you think they hide?"
"Evelywhere," he said. "Plentee liver, plenty cleek, plenty hide away."
"Then we shall never catch them?" I said.
"Ching wantee catchee, wantee plenty money; but pilate won't come.Pilate 'flaid."
"And I suppose, as soon as we go away, they'll come out and attack thefirst merchantman that comes along the coast."
"Yes," said Ching coolly; "cut allee boy float, settee fire junk, burneeship."
"Then what's to be done?" I said. "It's very disappointing."
"Ching go back fancee shop; no catchee pilate, no plize-money."
"Oh, but we shall drop upon them some day."
"No dlop upon pilate. Ching not captain. Ching catchee."
"How?" I said.
"Take big ship back to liver. Put big gun, put jolly sailor 'board twobig junk, and go sail 'bout. Pilate come thinkee catchee plenty silk,plenty tea. Come aboard junk. Jolly sailor chop head off, and no morepilate."
"That sounds well, Ching," I said; "but I don't think we could do that."
"No catchee pilate?" he said. "Ching velly tire. No good, vellyhungry; wantee go back fancee shop."
I thought a good deal about what the Chinaman had said, for it wasweary, dispiriting work this overhauling every vessel we saw that seemedlikely to be our enemy. It was dangerous work, too, for the narrow seawas foul with reefs; but our information had been that it was in theneighbourhood of the many islands off Formosa that the piratical junkshad their nest, and the risk had to be run for the sake of the possiblecapture to be made.
"Ching says he wants to get back to the fancee shop," sad Smith onemorning. "So do I, for I'm sick of this dreary work. Why, I'd ratherhave another of our days ashore."
"Not you," I said. "But I say, look here, I haven't spoke about itbefore, but Ching says--hi, Tanner, come here!"
"That he doesn't," cried Smith.
"Hallo! what is it?" said Barkins, whom I had hailed, and he came overfrom the port side of the deck.
"I was going to tell Blacksmith what Ching says. You may as well heartoo."
"Don't want to. I know."
"What! has he been saying to you--"
"No, not again."
"What did he say?"
"Ti-ope-I-ow!" cried Barkins, imitating the Chinaman's high falsetto,and then striking imaginary strings of a guitar-like instrument."_Peng_--_peng-peng_."
"I say, don't fool," I cried angrily.
"Gnat!" said Barkins sharply, "you're a miserably-impudent little scrubof a skeeter, and presume upon your size to say insolent things to yourelders."
"No, I don't," I said shortly.
"Yes, you do, sir. You called me a fool just now."
"I didn't."
"If you contradict me, I'll punch your miserable little head, sir. No,I won't, I'll make Blacksmith do it; his fists are a size smaller thanmine."
"Be quiet, Tanner!" cried Smith; "he knows something. Now, then, Gnat:what does Ching say?"
"That we shall never catch the pirates, because they won't come out whenthe gunboat is here."
"Well, there's something in that. Tell Mr Reardon."
"Is it worth while? He says we ought to arm a couple of junks, and waitfor the pirates to come out and attack us."
"Ching's Christian name ought to be Solomon," said Smith.
"Thanky wisdom teeth," said Barkins sarcastically. "I say, Gnat, he'squite right. They'd be fools if they did come out to be sunk. Idaresay they're watching us all the time somewhere or other from one ofthe little fishing-boats we see put out."
"Well, young gentlemen," said a sharp voice behind us; "this is contraryto dishipline. You can find something better to do than gossiping."
"Beg pardon, sir, we are not gossiping," said Barkins. "We werediscussing the point."
"Oh, indeed," said the first lieutenant sarcastically; "then have thegoodness to--"
Barkins saw breakers ahead, and hastened to say--
"The Chinaman says, sir--"
"Don't tell me what the Chinaman says, sir!" cried the lieutenantfiercely.
"But it was about the pirates, sir."
"Eh? What?" cried our superior officer, suddenly changing his tone."Has he some idea?"
"Yes, sir. No, sir."
"Mr Barkins! What do you mean, sir?"
"He thinks we shall never catch them, sir," stammered my messmate, whocould see punishment writ large in the lieutenant's face.
"Confound the Chinaman, sir!" roared the lieutenant. "So do I; so doesCaptain Thwaites."
He spoke so loudly that this gentleman heard him from where he wasslowly marching up and down, talking to the marine officer, and heturned and came towards us.
"In trouble, young gentlemen?" he said quietly. "Pray what does CaptainThwaites?" he added, turning to the chief officer.
"I beg your pardon, sir. I was a little exasperated. These younggentlemen, upon my reproving them for idling, have hatched up acock-and-bull story--at least Mr Barkins has."
"I beg pardon, sir; it was not a--not a--not a--"
"Cock-and-bull story, Mr Herrick," said the captain, smiling at myconfusion, for I had rushed into the gap. "Then pray what was it?"
I told him all that Ching had said, and the captain nodded his headagain and again as I went on.
"Yes," he said at last, "I'm afraid he is right, Reardon. It is worththinking about. What do you say to my sending you and Mr Brooke in acouple of junks?"
They walked off together, and we heard no more.
"Oh, how I should like to punch old Dishy's head!" said Barkins betweenhis teeth.
"Don't take any notice," said Smith; "it's only because he can't get achance to sink a pirate. I don't believe there's one anywhere about theblessed coast."
"Sail ho!" cried the man at the mast-head, and all was excitement on theinstant, for after all the strange sail might prove to be a pirate.
"Away on the weather bow,
sir, under the land!" cried the man in answerto hails from the deck; and then, before glasses could be adjusted andbrought to bear, he shouted--
"She's ashore, sir--a barque--fore--topmast gone, and--she's afire."
The _Teaser's_ course was altered directly, and, helped by a favouringbreeze, we ran down rapidly towards the wreck, which proved to besending up a thin column of smoke, and soon after this was visible fromthe deck.